The Depth of the Father's Love Is Overwhelming

We often sing a song in corporate worship entitled, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”, the text is awfully powerful.  I think that the text is so powerful because it calls us to grips to the depths of God’s love.  The only way that we can remotely understand and comprehend the depths of that love, is through the understanding of the depths and severity of our own sin.  The text actually combats our natural and sinful inclination in which we are tempted to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to.  Though while none of us would readily admit it, we more often than not, live our lives as if we have something to offer God, that there is something that God somehow needs from us.  While the reality is, as the song says, we are “wretch”, people of a despicable character, who undeserving have been made a treasure. 

Furthermore, the reality that this text continues to reveal, is that this undeserving grace did not come without a price, it did not come without a cost.  There was much pain physically and emotionally, as God who was fully human experienced not only physical torture, but humiliation as well.  This grace did not come without a price, it was our guilt upon His shoulders, it was our mocking voices who were crucifying Him, it was our sin that brought Him death, which brought us life.  This is the depth of the love of the Father, this is the depth of our wretchedness, this is the depth of our salvation. 

Therefore as redeemed wretches, what can we boast in apart from Jesus Christ?  Apart from Him we have nothing to offer, we bring nothing to the table; we brought guilt upon His shoulders, He gave us life.  Why should we gain this undeserved grace, this reward?  Our only response can be that Jesus Is Lord!  Christ died for the ungodly. 

Anthony Carter states this point well in an article at Ligonier.org:  “All because of the love of God. Christ left heaven. He laid aside glory, concealing His majesty. He subjected Himself to the creature’s scorn, outcast from a world He created. He suffered demonic attack, lies, and public ridicule. Friends forsook Him. He was brutally beaten, stripped, and put to open shame. Spat upon and slapped, publicly and shamefully executed, He assumed the guilt and punishment for every sin we ever committed. He reconciled us to God and secured our acceptance before God. Why? Because justice demanded it and our justification required it. Because He loved us even before we ever knew Him or understood what He was doing.

Thankfully, now we do.”

How Deep The Father’s Love for Us!

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

     

Marriage: A Biblical Mandate of Christ's Love

What do you value?  There are many things that we attribute value to.  For example our money system in America, the paper that we hold in our hands is just simply paper, similar to receipts, junk mail, and advertisements that we throw away each day; however we would never knowingly throw away a dollar, because we have attributed value to it.  There are many things in life that are of value to one person and not to the next, as precious as our money is to us, in many third world countries or remote villages who don't rely upon currency, our dollar bills are simply paper to them.  Value is attributed by us to certain things; that being said what are some things that Christ attributed value or worth to?  Christ obviously placed value or worth upon Himself, His Father, and The Holy Spirit as the Godhead.  Christ also placed value upon those who would follow Him, or in short the "church".  He shows us this value because He tells us through scripture and in particular in Ephesians 5:25 that He gave/handed over Himself for her (the church).  Therefore Christ placed much worth and much value in the church that He would hand Himself over for her.  

Obviously you know though that the emphasis in Ephesians 5 is not in the fact that Christ gave Himself for the church, but it is in the comparison that Christ demands that same love which He displayed for the church to be portrayed from a husband to his wife.  Christ placed extreme value in the church, to the point of death, He is commanding us to find that same value in our spouses.  Christ does not stop at the point of calling us to find value in the same way that He valued our souls, He continues in verse 29 calling us to love our wife in the same way that we love our own bodies.  I am not sure about you, but I am scared and fear bodily pain, in that way I seek in every way and effort to protect my body from physical pain and damage.  This imagery that is set before us is that in the same fashion that we seek to protect our body physically, emotionally, and mentally, so should we seek to protect and love our wife.  Christ is serious that we as men practice spiritual headship in which we are the leader and protector of our homes.  

Now I am not unwise in the aspect that I recognize most of whom read this have not only been married longer than I have, but many have been married longer than I have been alive; I have learned much about how to treat my wife and my family by watching the biblical example that many of you portray for me as a young husband and father.  However with that being said, the Lord has spoke into my life the past week a burning desire to discover and share the way in which we as Men, the spiritual leaders of our household should treat our wife as a testimony of Christ's love for the church to a world around us who does not understand a biblical view of marriage and therefore does not understand the imagery displayed through marriage of Christ's love for the church.  Therefore I urge you as Godly men, publicly share with others how you love your wife, adore her, and "love her more than your own body" so that the hurting and dying world around us will see the biblical view of what marriage should be and can understand what Christ has done for us through loving us more than He loved His own body.  

What Stability Is There Apart From Christ?

What Stability Is There Apart From Christ

Life is chaotic. If you really sit and think about it, our lives are oxymorons many times. We say we want stability or some sense of consistency when the truth is we have no control over anything. In fact the truth is, if life was a board game we don’t even get to make the moves, we’re just dependent upon the one who does. Why is it then we are always battling and fighting for some type of imaginary comfort? Maybe you don’t, but I can so easily fall into the trap of desiring a life that is comfortable, where I have all the steps and processes figured out. When the reality is we can’t plan for anything because we have no idea what the future holds.


I’ve been reminded this week how chaotic life is. If you’ve watched the news maybe you have too. Tornados throughout Mississippi which radically changed lives for many people, an oil spill in the Gulf which will radically change the economy and industry of many people’s lives who were dependent upon the seafood industry, an immigration law in Arizona which has causes riots and protests that are unlike anything I have seen in America in my lifetime, and most recently record flooding throughout the entire Nashville area that has altered and taken away thousands of people’s homes. Just this week all of these events have altered millions of people’s lives in some form or fashion. Do you not think that they had a plan? Do you not think they desired comfort and stability? I’m sure that the devastation of their homes or industries was not included in their plan of comfort and stability.


Isn’t it ironic that we can see daily that we have no control over what tomorrow brings but yet we still try to live like we do? I will admit I am one of the worst people about worrying about what tomorrow holds, especially recently. But what good is it to worry? I have no control over what the future holds one way or the other, and if I really sit and think about it, I’m glad I don’t. It seems every time I try to impose my plan upon my life everything gets worse real quick, but when I become fully reliant and submissive to God’s plan for my life, it turns out perfect. Do you struggle with the desire for comfort and stability? Do not be fooled, comfort and stability are a myth that many people lost this past week. Life is chaotic, the only comfort and consistent stability is God and His Love.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Matthew 6:25-27

Lukewarm and Lovin' It?

Lukewarm and Lovin’ It?

If you have known me for any length of time you know that apart from God I have two great passions in life: music and coffee. In fact my website/blog is even called “coffeeshopgod.com”, even furthermore a majority of these newsletters are written as I sit at my favorite coffeehouse. I am predictable in the coffee that I drink; I prefer a cup of hot, bold, brewed coffee. I guess you could say I’m a traditional coffee drinker. However in recent years coffeeshops have made a ton of money by selling new drinks iced, frozen/blended.. I could not tell you how tired I was of making frozen/blended coffee drinks in the summers that I worked at Starbucks in Mississippi. They were a huge seller. In all my time that I worked at Starbucks there is one type of coffee I have never heard anyone order, lukewarm coffee.

There was a city in the first century called Laodicea. Laodicea was self-sufficient city, a commercial center and the site of a thriving medical and textile industries. They did not view themselves as poor; they were sufficient by their own industries, not really dependent upon God for their daily needs. In many ways you can say that the community of Laodicea is similar to the modern day United States of America. As a vast majority of Americans we are self sufficient and do not have to wonder where our next meal will come from, where we will sleep, or whether we will have clothes on our back. Just as the city of Laodicea, we are not desperate for God; in fact I would make the statement to say that as a whole, we as American’s are Lukewarm. Sure we claim to “know God”, we may go to church on Easter or Christmas, we may be able to quote John 3:16, and our grandparents might go to church, we won’t renounce God completely, but we are not desperate for Him. We are lukewarm.

John, through the divine author Jesus Christ, has something to say the church of Laodicea in Revelation: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were one or the other!” So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit (vomit) you out of my mouth.” These are incredibly harsh words to be spoken to someone who doesn’t claim to not follow God, but who is merely not desperate for God, right? Wrong! “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform any miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

God views men and women who say “Lord, Lord” but live lives consumed with their own glory, as a cup of lukewarm coffee. He will spit them out of His mouth. Are you desperate for God? Who does your life give glory to? Think about these things as you have your daily cup of coffee.

Do We Care?

Five minutes ago sitting in the Starbucks in Midlothian I ran into a guy that I admit I didn't even remember his name till halfway though the coversation. He was struggling with somethings and wanted to talk about it. Struggling where to go to college, what to do with his life, and getting plugged into a church. He wanted to talk, I was busy with some schoolwork, but I listened. I didn't really have the time to waste but the though came across - it's not always about Jonathan, service is about others.

I'm busy. I have a lot going on most of the time between planning a wedding, working at the church, landscaping, school, finances, and the normal business of life (cleaning, cooking, ect...).

So I've thought about this, I make time for what I want to make time for. If I want to read about apple news, play on facebook/myspace, or watch tv; I make time for it. Therefore if I don't make time to listen to others problems when they need somone to talk to, it's not because I'm really that busy, it is just because I don't want to "make time" for it.

I know many times I need someone to talk to and it seems as if there is noone - I know that there are people that feel like this, so I am convicted just listening to people makes a world of difference in their day and lives. Maybe this is a way that we could share God's loves with others; listen to their problems and when they ask for your advice or need your help there is your opportunity to share God's good news with them.

Just some thoughts,


jc